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The Internet Advertising Communications

New Campaign Features Internet Trolls On Roadside Billboards (bbc.com) 197

Posted by Soulskill from the because-trolls-will-hate-all-that-attention dept.
An anonymous reader writes: A campaign taking shape in Brazil seeks to fight online harassment in an unusual way: by posting the abusive comments on real billboards. "The group collects comments from Facebook or Twitter and uses geolocation tools to find out where the people who have posted them live. They then buy billboard space nearby and post the comments in huge letters, although names and photos are pixelated." Brazil has laws prohibiting racial abuse, but this group doesn't think the government is doing enough to stop it. The campaign's founder said, "Those people [who post abuse online] think they can sit in the comfort of their homes and do whatever they want on the internet. We don't let that happen. They can't hide from us, we will find them."
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New Campaign Features Internet Trolls On Roadside Billboards More

New Campaign Features Internet Trolls On Roadside Billboards

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  • Do they put the first post people up there? (Score:4, Funny)

    by selectspec ( 74651 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:15AM (#51027055)

    Imagine driving along the highway and seeing a billboard with nothing on it, except...

    Anonymous Coward: fp
    Anonymous Coward: fp
    Anonymous Coward: fp ...

    • How about apk's host file nonsense on the side of a freeway? It would take like 50 billboards to post at a legible while driving font though.

  • What does this accomplish? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Keiran Halcyon ( 550292 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:20AM (#51027101)
    "Those people [who post abuse online] think they can sit in the comfort of their homes and do whatever they want on the internet. We don't let that happen. They can't hide from us, we will find them."

    So the idea is that you're going to find them, and then post their picture and their message near to them so that they and everyone else can see what a tool that person is. Except you're going to obscure the picture and hide the name so that nobody knows who did it except the original author. Basically, you're just publishing this person's hate mail on the wall like a poster, and letting them see their work writ large.

    • My take on that part is that the are obscuring the target, not the troll. I could be wrong though.

      • You can see a picture of a billboard here. [bbc.com] It clearly shows that all people's identities are obscured in the billboard.
        (Yes,, that link is to the op)

        • You mean actually RTFA? BLASPHEMY!

          I see what you mean though...they should leave it right out there, but then people would just use other people's names and pictures.

      • Coren22's impersonation "APKolypse" (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Coren22 IMPERSONATES RESPECTED MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COMMUNITY http://slashdot.org/comments.p... [slashdot.org]

        ---

        "privilege escalation's a bad thing" - by Coren22 on Tuesday September 22, 2015

        How else programmatically update it?

        "requires elevation to write hosts" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday September 23, 2015

        Hypocrite later admits it - hosts do vs. WFP/SFP not my ware. Users set it not programmatic impersonation. Security wares need it.

        ---

        "secretary at MalwareBytes took a look at his source code & said it looked all good" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday November 18, 2015

        Mr. Steven Burn of Malwarebytes

        "yes I've seen the code & yes it is safe." FROM http://forum.hosts-file.net/vi... [hosts-file.net]

        ---

        "we should avoid your crap it looks like malware." - by Coren22 (1625475) on Monday November 02, 2015 @03:52PM (#50850445)

        60++ reputable sources say different:

        64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/... [virustotal.com]

        +

        32-bit model https://www.virustotal.co [virustotal.com]

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Xenx ( 2211586 )
      The side that people aren't talking about is that if your comments get posted on a billboard they're saying, "You know you did it, and so do we." Given that a lot of this crap stems from people feeling relatively anonymous on the internet, it could impact the number of offenders. I'm not saying it'll deter everyone, but given the potential costs of directly pursuing each offender, it may not be a terrible place to start.
  • How many people saw that and then reacted by looking at the comment history of their favorite slashdot troll(s)?

    • I thought I might appear on a billboard. One man's crusader is another man's troll. According to APK, I am a troll, while he should be modded up for his terrific insight.

  • Put up large but with the troll's name and other identifying information blurred out. How useful is this actually going to be?

  • Instead of just trolling facebook, they are now able to troll the streets. And they don't even have to pay for it!

    Great idea.

  • Backfire (Score:3)

    by YrWrstNtmr ( 564987 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:28AM (#51027171)
    It will become a badge of 'honor' and a competition among the trollish to get their posted on a billboard.
    "See dudes? Look at how cool I am !!"

  • Social Justice Warriros (Score:4, Interesting)

    by DarkOx ( 621550 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:29AM (#51027179) Journal

    Remember kids its okay to dox someone if you are doing it for the right reasons.

    I wonder how members of this group would react if people start posting their comments anonymous or otherwise without context.

    I have no problem with what they are doing. I don't believe at all in any of this PC safe space bullshit. I just hope these folks realize that what they are doing is abusive in its own way. I don't challenge their right legally ( I have not idea what the rules are in their country) or morally to do this. They should understand though that its not likely to escalate rather than deescalate the discourse and its going to make their group and its members targets. The people they are calling out as trolls will probably respond by doing what trolls do, more trolling. As long as they understand by doing this that they have it coming and don't go crying to 'mommy government' best of luck to them.

    • They should understand though that its not likely to escalate rather than deescalate the discourse and its going to make their group and its members targets.

      s/its not likely/it's likely

      In response to what you are saying though, aren't they essentially just trolling the trolls? That rarely ends well.

  • Road Signs (Score:5, Funny)

    by PPH ( 736903 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:36AM (#51027257)

    Post insulting tweets
    in attempt to inflame
    your message on signs
    will be your fame
    Burma Shave

  • Not the effect they intended (Score:5, Informative)

    by grimmjeeper ( 2301232 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:37AM (#51027261) Homepage
    This kind of passive-aggressive whining will only encourage the trolls. Trolls thrive on the reaction they get. Giving them a billboard full of their trolling will stoke their ego more than anything else. This approach will only encourage them to troll harder so they get more billboards dedicated to their trolling.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      This could be free campaign advertising for Donald Trump.

    • We know it encourages trolls, just like media advertising people and their manifestos who commit horrible crimes encourages more crimes. This is such basic psychology that people in junior high get it (and used to be taught it). When you claim that the effect will not be what they intend, make sure you know the real intentions (not always the published one). I see this as a larger push to block free speech. More CISPA/SOPA dialogue will follow, and of course be hammered in to place because *insert appea

      • Re:Yes, and are you sure it's not intended? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by grimmjeeper ( 2301232 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:56AM (#51027409) Homepage

        I'm not so sure. SJWs usually aren't smart enough to be that Machiavellian. They're usually true believers who "just know" that this kind of thing will work and once the trolls are "outed", they'll do a completely 180 and become born again good citizens. I mean, all it takes is someone who knows what's best for them telling them the "truth" to straighten them out...

        Though that's not to say others won't try to capitalize on the failure that this campaign will surely turn out to be. But I doubt the ones sponsoring this idiocy are going into it with those kinds of long term goals.

        • They're usually true believers who "just know" that this kind of thing will work and once the trolls are "outed", they'll do a completely 180 and become born again good citizens. I mean, all it takes is someone who knows what's best for them telling them the "truth" to straighten them out...

          I've noticed this about a strong contingent of liberals; they seem to have an irrational notion that people just need to be exposed to their liberal values and have "the truth" explained to them by someone who knows wha

          • There's really a complete lack of scientific reasoning from most humans, whether they're religious nuts, or into some social cause (which seems to be another religion of sorts). People believe things without any actual evidence at all, or based on some "evidence" which can't be cross-checked or validated in any way.

            Not only do they believe things without any scientific reasoning behind it, if you do present them with any actual scientific reasoning that contradicts them, they will dismiss it out of hand, either calling the research flawed in some way or just plain ignoring it because it doesn't agree with their opinion.

            And I've seen the SJW attitude in just about every corner of the religious and political spectrums. A lot of people are content to live their lives without being pushy about their beliefs. But no matt

    • I could see this going either way.

      I have a coworker who trolls for the sake of trolling. He talks about trolling, he trolls forums for movies just to tell people how bad they will be, and at one point he discussed using the Facebook gay pride filter on a confederate flag for use as a profile picture. He gets his jollies, and seeing something he doesn't actually identify with on a billboard would probably crack him up.

      On the other hand, lets say the billboard generates dialog between people. Famil
  • If they are censoring the name and the profile picture, then doesn't this just give the trolls free publicity? Am I missing something?

    Campaigners: "You can't just say whatever you want on the Internet! There are real life consequences!"
    Trolls: "Thanks for censoring my personal info, dipshits! Now nobody but me knows I posted this, and I've got a fucking billboard displaying my awesome put-down! Trolololololol!!!"

  • It's not just people posting insults in the internet who are trolls. On the other hand, maybe they're just trolling us?

    It's s stupid idea. There's enough crap floating around on the internet - there's no need to add to the visual blight on the landscape, in what will surely turn into a contest to see who can get their stuff featured on a billboard. In other words, they need to read up on the law of unintended consequences. [wikipedia.org] Or talk to Barbra Streisand ... :-)

  • Revenge Doxing (Score:4, Insightful)

    by OrangeTide ( 124937 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @11:49AM (#51027359) Homepage Journal

    Seems like revenge doxing disguised as a crusade disguised as a PSA.

    "Can we all get along?" - Rodney King

  • NOT TROLLS (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Why do people continue to use the word "troll" to describe every offensive thing they see on the Internet? Trolling means you are looking to provoke a reaction by making comments designed just to get a reaction. Some people post offensive things that they actually believe in. They aren't looking for a reaction, but posting what they really think. Those aren't "trolls", they are just offensive people.

  • Every time this comes up I'm struck by the same few thoughts:

    If we hadn't succumbed to the commercial desire to mine our real identities and instead had stayed with the early internet's pseudonymity culture, we'd be more able to isolate any online abuse from our real lives.

    What happens online should stay online, but this now seems impossible.

    The troll is an individual, who wields their (largely illusory) power through manipulative skill and sheer determination to annoy and frustrate. It seems unfair that th

  • The troll response to seeing "HITLER DID NOTHING WRONG" plastered across a billboard will be checking a box labeled [x] Huge success

    Hell, even my own inner troll is tickled retarded at the idea.

  • Also in Brazil TV show called CQC did something similar, they went after people posting offensive comments on diverse topics. I think some apologized but it was a short run, they ended after a guy headbutted and punched the reporter on camera.
    http://ig-wp-colunistas.s3.ama... [amazonaws.com]

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • It's still anonymous. If they wanted to do it right, they would put the username or even the real name of the person that posted it.

    Sure people may lose their jobs and be publicly humiliated, unless they are basement dwellers already.

  • I don't usually troll... (Score:3)

    by MiniMike ( 234881 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @01:47PM (#51028451)

    I don't usually troll, but when I do all of my posts will end with: SPEED LIMIT 85 MPH

    (When in Brazil I will translate to Portuguese/Metric.)

  • Billboards are for cows.
    You are all cows.
    Moo, you billboard reading cows!
    Burma Shave.

  • Let me Get This Straight (Score:3)

    by wisnoskij ( 1206448 ) on Monday November 30, 2015 @03:58PM (#51029379) Homepage

    This group is worried about racist comments online. So they are going to buy huge billboards and post racist remarks.
    I guess we should just be grateful that they are not as worried about Child Porn.

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